Tramlines Festival is always one of the highlights of my year. What could be better than live music and a group of friends? These are the acts who are set to be headliners, writes Daniel Bird22:00, 29 Jul 2026Tramlines Festival has once again pulled it out of the bag – and I think I know which bands will headline in the future. It's always one of my annual highlights, heading to Hillsborough Park with a group of friends in the sun, enjoying live music, discovering new artists and consuming my all-time favourite – festival food.‌Each year, the line-up gets better and better, and I'm always left thinking "How can this year top last year?" but bosses at Tramlines HQ just seem to do it.‌This year, they had Fatboy Slim, Courteeners and Wolf Alice headlining – I wasn't really a fan of Wolf Alice beforehand, but they genuinely delivered an unforgettable performance.‌It was my third or fourth time seeing Courteeners, and once again, they had everybody up and singing along, so I knew I was in for a good time. Fatboy Slim, however, was a set I couldn't have predicted – mixed with his timeless classics, including Praise You and Eat, Sleep, Rave, Repeat, he also incorporated the likes of Mr Brightside – one of my all-time favourite songs, which shocked me, but it seemed to work for the sold-out crowd.But for me, festivals aren't always about the headline acts. Instead, finding new artists is something I love doing every year, whether it's someone opening the main stage or performing in a tent; they always bring the energy.‌For me, my highlight of Tramlines has to be The Royston Club. I interviewed frontman Tom Faithful almost a year ago to the day, so I was beyond excited to see them on T'Other Stage.Now, I'm not someone who enjoys wandering around sites and tents alone, but while my friends were at the Sarah Nulty Main Stage, I headed over to T'Other, and I was not disappointed. The lads from Wrexham, not too far from where I grew up, attracted one of the biggest tent crowds I've ever seen at a festival.‌With around 2,000 people packed into the stage, the atmosphere can only be described as electric, and I'm so glad I went alone.Opening their set, the lads didn't disappoint and had the entire crowd in the palms of their hands, myself included. I can hand on heart say I can see them headlining the main stage in the near future – they're one of the hottest upcoming bands and the future is certainly bright for them.‌Now, onto the Open Arms Stage – The Slates, another band I've interviewed, and I knew their set would be mega, and they didn't disappoint. They're four of the most energetic lads I've met, so it was no surprise that they were playing Tramlines.Frontman Louis Barnes really is an old school frontman, and the crowd at the Open Arms loved every moment – and rightly so. They may have been on a smaller stage, but I think they'll be on the main stage in a few years, or headlining T'Other Stage, which would be epic to see their journey from the smaller stage to the biggest – it's a promise.The K's also provided a show-stopping performance on T'Other Stage. I've interviewed them a few times now and seen them at Tramlines and Leeds Festival, and their sets never disappoint.‌They always attract a lively and huge crowd, and this year was no different, with T'Other pretty much at full capacity, which is always good to see. Last year, they were on the main stage earlier in the day, so to see them headlining is pretty impressive.‌Kaiser Chiefs frontman Ricky Wilson also, quite literally, reached for the sky during his performance – scaling the speaker set up mid-performance, which was slightly risky but very, very, rock 'n'roll. But away from my love of indie bands, Rick Astley, the king of music, was one of the highlights of my weekend.I've seen Rick live a few times, and he always brings such joy to the crowd with his timeless classics, including, of course, Never Gonna Give You Up, which had the entire crowd on their feet, dancing and singing away. I say it every year, but Tramlines genuinely is one of the best festivals around – it's not just the music, it's the sense of community, in a bustling city, surrounded by people all there to have fun, regardless of what genres they like or what they get up to in their personal lives.It's a reyt good weekend, and I already cannot wait for Tramlines 2027.Article continues belowLike this story? For more of the latest showbiz news and gossip, follow Mirror Celebs on TikTok, Snapchat, Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and Threads.